


A gift for the ages

by Aalvina



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Friendship, Heartbreak, Injury, M/M, Magic, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22742353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aalvina/pseuds/Aalvina
Summary: The dragon Borch gave a secret gift to Geralt and Jaskier when the Witcher cast his companion away.It takes a while for Jaskier to find out about it. Even more for Geralt.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 20
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I haven't written in a while but the idea kept coming back at me so here I am ! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it.

It took a while for Jaskier to realize _something_ was happening to him, even more to understand what it was. 

A few days after his separation from Geralt and the slow realization his heart was breaking from it, he got relatively drunk. Relatively in comparison to the one time he had challenged Geralt into a drinking game. 

Stupid idea. 

This was one too, he struggled to get to him room, bumping everywhere and earning some grunts of disapprobation from his door neighboors at the inn. 

So when he woke up with several bruises on his body he did not think much of it. 

He didn't think he hurt himself that bad but knowing his state of inebriety, he might have just forgotten. 

So Jaskier went on his way, one week listening carefully to the tales of Geralt aventures from vulgar hand-me-down stories, a week later swearing off from any Witcher story and keeping his promise for a time, until the next gossip came of the "white wolf". 

The thing is that when you realize you love someone after the idiot yelled, insulted and cast you away, your heart is a bit lost between understanding what all you're feeling is about. 

So Jaskier sang about love and heartbreak and beautiful witches and the irony of destiny. 

He woke up with cuts on his arms, soreness in his back or just waking, sweat covering his body and could just swear he felt a clawy hand behind his neck. 

He didn't know when exactly he knew what was happening, well he guessed either a spell (and blamed all sorcerer on land) or a weird destiny thingy, but the destiny stuff was Geralt speciality. He was just a bard, a great one yes, but a bard nonetheless. 

After waking up coughing water as if he had been drowning while being on top of a mountain, traveling between two cities, he decided to find answers from a mage. 

The first one was a young bookworm who got very frustrated in not knowing what was plaguing Jaskier, the next three just gave him some herbs he could have picked up in the square. He was giving up hope and struggled to accept he was going to die from the never ending injuries coming his way out of nowhere. 

He finally met a seemingly young mage called Triss whose name he recognized from a story he coaxed out of Geralt in his insane drinking game (he might have lost but he got to make ghe Witcher talk and that was a victory in itself). 

She took her time and apologize for being slower than most, her chaos was uneven, she explained, since the battle. And Jaskier nodded, he heard about it, sang about it, and found himself wishing the fire witch of the tales lived. 

Jaskier waited and talked with Triss, at first he avoided the topic of Geralt but it slipped quite quickly and she smiled, as if she knew. She talked about the one story she shared with him and corrected the song Jaskier had told. He thought of singing it soon and imagined that Geralt might hear this new version and know Jaskier and Triss met. What might the Witcher think? 

Well, not much, thought Jaskier, he hates me, would loathe knowing I'm still meddling in his life, even his past. 

His darkening thoughts were interrupted by Triss who looked at her book, and at the vial in her hand where she mixed Jaskier's blood to several ingredients. When she looked up to him her eyes seemed to struggled between shock, horror and pity. 

"You're linked, soul bound. It's an ancient magic, only pure magical being can do so. I... I guess whatever you're feeling whoever you're bound with feels and vice versa. I ... I'll have to do some research for how it works and get be stopped. " She started rambling, " do you have an idea of who that might be ? A lover maybe ? " 

Jaskier was about to think of something witty to respond when his body seized and he fell on the ground, clutching his knee, his breathinv struggling to bring oxygen in. Triss came to him and cut his pants out so she could reveal a deep invested bite on his knee. She knew what it was and how to treat it. But as she looked at Jaskier they both realized only one person could be linked to him to have such injury. 

"Geralt" was the only sound escaping Jaskier's lips before he fainted on the ground. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god ! So much feedback already ^^  
> I was not expecting that. Since it's a somehow improvised fic I'm not sure how long it'll be but not very long. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy what happens next.

Jaskier stayed at Triss for a while, she healed him, researched on soul bonds and he... contemplated the fact he was bound to feel all the injuries Geralt of Rivia witcher would get. Great. He did spend the last decade following said witcher around and somehow never got badly hurt but now that he was miles away, the man was actually endangering him. Oh sweet irony. Would make for one great song though. 

Jaskier sighed and stood in front of a mirror, Triss said the bound had to be two-ways so Geralt should feel what Jaskier felt too. Jaskier looked at himself, wondering what he could do to make the man realize what was going on. His hand ? No, not only he would never deprive the world of his music it could handicap Geralt in a fight. Well if he was to hurt himself and Geralt at the same time, he would need it to be when the man wasn't fighting. Well... he thought, Geralt might sleep at least two hours a night, so he shouldn't be fighting between 2 and 4 in the morning probably. 

Not only the timeframe was insane but Jaskier was very much aware he would need to get seriously injured for Geralt to realize someting was wrong. Short cut, the man would just brush it off, a bruise, would not even notice. 

How lucky was Jaskier that he would sustain the insane injury from the witcher with no self preservation, but the worst Geralt would feel would be... fingers injury from playing the lute. 

"He might feel your feelings." had said Triss one day when Jaskier was just contemplating his doom out loud. "You said you could feel afraid and tensed at night, as if you were stalked by a creature. He might get the same feelings as you if they're intense enough."

"Well... that's actually interesting, but it would need to be something new, unexpected to Geralt. Emotions Geralt doesn't really have a grasp on... There's quite a lot but ain't easy to conjure. How do you bring someone to feel self love? Because lust, he knows, laughter, it's a long process but you can get a smile out of him. Once I heard him laugh out loud. Of course he denied it the next minute but I do remember it!"

Triss smiled. 

"Can't you feel what he's feeling right now? You know you are bonded, maybe you can get have a better grasp on it now. You could find him, tell him."

Jaskier raised an unimpressed brow and sighed melodramatically. 

"You mean find the ever wandering witcher and tell him, I, the man he cast away for bringing shit of destiny on him, is now bounded to him with very unknown consequences to both of us. Great idea." 

He had tried to make it humourous but the bitterness he always felt when thinking about what Geralt thought of him. Of course he knew the man was talking out of personal frustration and anger and any other day he would have ignored Geralt or gone away to find him later when the man had calmed down. 

Not this time, Jaskier had loved their companionship and knew he was feeling more for the man than pure friendship but he felt abandonned, time and time again Geralt left him alone for Yennefer and their toxic relationship. If only they were happy together, Jaskier could share his time with Geralt but no, not only the two just kept hurting each other, each time Geralt forgot Jaskier was there. Yennefer took all of Geralt, sucking the little caring part of him away and leaving him dry and mean. Jaskier was left alone in a deserted campement too many times so when Geralt turned on him instead of leaning on him, he gave up. 

And now here he was, stuck bounded with the man. Stupid Destiny indeed. 

"Try." Triss advised. So Jaskier relented and did it. If only to get an idea of when his next injury would be. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply in a relaxing manner, concentrated on his breathing only, slowly focusing on his body physical existence and slowly let his mind detach himself from it. He kept breathing slowly and felt warmth on his face, like a fire was in front of him and soon he swore he heard the crackling sound of a fire camp. He slowly switched his focused his attention on his hand as he felt a small hand grabbing it softly. Suddenly Jaskier lost his focus and was back in Triss kitchen, away from the forest, his heart beating fast. 

* * *

Geralt turned toward Ciri who held his hand to get his attention. He got lost in his thoughts again, it happened a lot recently and he had no idea why. Maybe it was because his life had changed so much, after finding Ciri they went on their way to find Yennefer. It took them a while and she was too weak to follow them for several weeks and reluctant to bind herself to Geralt's Destiny but was swayed by the need to take care of Ciri. 

Geralt and her agreed to stay away from each other, they would be friends, road companion but neither of them were quite ready to deal with what Destiny had decided to do with them. They acknowledged their feelings from one another but Ciri's wellbeing was more important, she needed help and structure in her new life. They would give it to her. 

Yennefer was the first to realize something was wrong with Geralt, he lost focus on what he was doing often, and looked into nothing as if trying to find his footing in reality. Ciri then noted he had scrapes on his fingers or small cuts here and there. The witcher doged her concern, saying it was nothing and probably hurt himself against a rock or a tree. 

He kept fighting monsters even though Yennefer had enough cash for the three of them. He just considered it his work to kill monsters to help villagers and did so, especially now that Yennefer was here to take care of Ciri when he went on a hunt. 

He and Ciri were determined to stay in the forest and not go into villages unless necessary but Yenn argued she couldn't just use her magic for comfort all the time, still weakened by the battle against Nilfgaard and that they both needed regular baths and rest. 

It was on one of these stops that Ciri heard them talk about Jaskier for the first time. A bard had started to sing, his own songs getting him very few reactions he started to sing "toss a coin to your witcher" and got applause very quickly. Geralt grunted to Yennefer amusement as the bard kept singing Jaskier's many songs. 

"Where is your favorite bard?"

"Gone. Somewhere."

"So he finally left?! Realized life on the road couldn't last through old age did he?" she joked but Geralt just looked away.

"You cast him away did you? You stupid!"

"Why do you care. You don't like him. As you said, it was best for him."

"For you you mean, you loner. And I liked him. He was fun to mess with." she explained with a smile on her lips and turned to Ciri who was tugging her sleeve. 

"Who are you talking about?" she asked as silently as she could, afraid to upset a grumpy Geralt. 

"Jaskier, the man who wrote and sang the legend of Geralt of Rivia! The White Wolf. Famous bard, sang in many courts."

Yennefer was about to launch in stories of Geralt and Jaskier for the little princess when two things stopped her. One, Geralt growled "Yenn, Stop." and two, the bard started a new song, whose melody was clearly Jaskier's. It sounded like a lament and got everyone listening with rapt attention. 

_Wings of gold, above the mountain fly_

_Destiny is toy inside his claws_

_Watch lovers part and friendship fall_

_And all above, dragon's gift are lost_

_Rare species, legend of old_

_Inside your claws, Destiny falls._

_Grant a present, or curse to all_

_Inside your claws, Destiny faults_

_Souls lost, damnation brought_

_Love or hatred_

_A dragon's heart_

_A dragon's gift_

_Destiny_

Geralt had listened and both Yenn and himself knew what the story was about but the lament behind was strange, more intense than what had transpired should have inspired the bard.

"So the dragon killed someone?" asked Ciri. 

"Why would you think that?" asked Yennefer

"I don't know, damnation, love and hatred, curse. It sounds like the dragon's gift killed someone." she said. 

"He didn't. It's just a song. The bard loves to dramatize stories." explained Geralt and yet he could feel a cold setting in his bones. They had talked too much of Jaskier and death in the same evening, a thought he tried not to think off. 

Geralt was not a people person by all means. He loved Yennefer and cared deeply for Ciri but this was Destiny so he just accepted it. He had loved Renfri and she died by his hand, he had made sure no one would die because of how their life was linked to his. Yet Jaskier kept forcing himself into his life and he grew to care for the man and his companionship until it was normal. His everyday life for years was living and traveling with Jaskier, so when his anger and sorrow pushed him away he was alone. Like he'd never been before. 

He now had Ciri and Yennefer by his side, but often miss the bard persistant presence in his life. 

That night they shared a room, since the inn only had one and Ciri actually felt better making sure the two of them wouldn't disappear into the night. Geralt settled on one bed while the girls took the second, he soon fell asleep and dreamt. He dreamt of the new song he heard, he felt like he was in a inn listening to it but this was Jaskier's voice and he tried to get closer but was stuck. His dream shifted and he was walking in a street, then a knife was in front of him, he tried to punch his attacker but his body would not obey his mind and started running and suddenly he was on the ground, and the attacker was squeezing his neck. 

Geralt woke up suddenly weezing for a breath that wouldn't come, struggling in the emptiness he knocked away a basin and woke up Yenn and Ciri. 

"Geralt! What's wrong? Ciri get me my bag of vials!" shouted Yennefer as she leaned toward Geralt. His eyes blown open, panicking, stuck in a fight that wasn't his own, invisible hands pressing against his throat again and again. 

"Calm down. It's gonna be okay. Just try to calm down. " insisted Yennefer as she searched for a vial in her bag, not even sure what was happening. 

Geralt tried to close his eyes for a second and was plagued by the vision of his attacker and one hand that was not his own rising from his place to try and dislodge the man. And suddenly the attacker was overpowered by vines and roots encircling him, the hands lost their strenght and oxygen came back to him as he heard in the distance someone screaming a name. 

Geralt opened his eyes, taking big gulps of air, Yennefer gave him a vial that helped soothe his damaged windpipes and she stared at the purple markings of hands on his neck. 

When Geralt settle down he closed his eyes again and heard the same voice, this time worried : "Jaskier, are you all right?"

Geralt opened his eyes and swore. 

"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is !  
> Hope you enjoy it. The switch between Jaskier and Geralt's perception was tough.  
> Kudos are amazing, Comments are incredible. Make me write faster ;)


	3. Chapter 3

"We should be going to Kaer Morgen, Ciri needs to be safe, away from Nilfgaard's assassin's. It's dangerous to go south." tried to argue Geralt but his voice was more gruff than usual and the purple bruises on his neck still visible, though slowly fading. Yennefer refused to listen to him and Ciri shook her head in disagreement. 

"You said he was saved by vines. It must be Triss magic, she's also good at healing magic, if the bard has some sense, he must have stayed with someone to help him heal all the injuries you get." She kept her eyes on the road, not quite capable to look at Geralt as her words sank in. The bond was too strong for it not to be both way and Geralt was probably remembering his many injuries since he last saw the bard and realizing as she did that a human body such as him would suffer even more from such abuse. So they rode to the place she knew Triss was, in hope that together they might understand what was happening and how to stop it. 

Someone hummed a melody before it was drowned in a cough and Yennefer whipped her head to Geralt who was looking away embarassed and Ciri was brighlt smiling and imitated his previous humming to his great disarray. Since realizing he was bonded to Jaskier, his loss of focus into the bond became more frequent and sometimes a bit of the bard came out of Geralt, like now, humming. 

Yennefer laughed silently and started to sing with Ciri, taunting Geralt on their way. 

It took them a few days to get to the town where Triss stayed, as soon as they got into the borders of it Yennefer felt the ambiant magic calling to her, like recognizing the hair of a parent, the voice of a sister, she felt Triss' magic recognizing her and calling to her. She gave a little push to her mare and followed the telepathic thoughts welcoming her. 

_You're here!_

_Is the bard here?_

_Yes! Come to the house covered in vines, he's resting. I'll wake him. The witcher is with you?_

_We're on our way. She's here too, we need to keep her safe._

_Of course, I'll adjust my wards._

She could see Geralt nodding to her, recognizing the way she acted when she communicated telepathically and followed her until they arrived in front of the only house whose walls were overcome with vines, branches and flowers, they expected Triss to wait for them but were instead welcomed by Jaskier. Geralt's eyes could see details the human eye could not and he knew Jaskier from decades of travelling together. He knew how he stood up, and saw that he favored his left leg instead of the right were Geralt had been bitten a week before, his throat was more purple than Geralt's, his hand bandaged and his breathing more shallow, proof of the broken ribs Geralt had failed to tell Yennefer about. 

They got down from their horses in silence and Triss hushered them in before Ciri was allowed to take her hood out. Jaskier went to sit at his usual place and started chatting with Ciri when he saw Geralt stayed deadly silent and the two sorceress were busy catching up. 

"So. What it is? " asked Yennefer, refusing to beat around the bush. 

"A soul bond." explained Triss. " I searched and only a few creatures can bestow it upon people, it's extremely rare and we realized it must be."

"The dragon." finally said Geralt. "We heard the song."

Jaskier had a small smile appearing on his lips, timid.

"I was trying to get your attention, I wasn't sure how long it would take."

"Well the song was nice, the choking was more efficient." explained Yennefer.

Jaskier fidgeted on his seat. 

"Well... Yeah. I'm sorry, it wasn't planned, drunk man wanted my gain of the night. I was lucky Triss was here."

"You were." she said and Yennefer could see the two had become friends. 

The silent that settled between them was unconfortable and Jaskier was hitching to just ramble about anything but was beaten to it by Ciri. 

"So now we're going to the dragon? "

"Well. It would be useful to know why he bonded the two of them, but from what I gather, these types of bonding usually come with its own conditions. I'm not sure even him could break it."

"Fucking great." grunted Geralt, he pushed his chair away from the table, threatening all the glass to fall off the table and left the room. 

"This idiot." swore Yennefer and she made a move to follow him but Jaskier stopped her. 

"Let me please. I think we both know why he's like that. Let me try to talk to him."

Yennefer sighed and nodded. "I guess we're in the same situation. Magically linked to him." 

"Not quite the same. He wished your connection, not ours." said Jaskier but before any pity could appear in her he added "His loss. No offense but my soul is way more interesting to be bonded to than yours. I bring music and fun."

Yennefer should have felt insulted but she just huffed a fake annoyed sound. 

* * *

Geralt was grumbling to Roach as he took care of her mane and Jaskier approached him slowly, very much aware the witcher had sensed him coming since he got out. 

"I'm not in the mood Jaskier."

"I know I know. In my defense I did not ask for it either." Jaskier sighed, not even sure of where to begin. "Listen, I'm still mad at you, even more so. Actually I'm fucking mad!" and that got Geralt to turn around, with actual surprise on his face and the anger Jaskier felt built up just erupted. 

"You chased me away! All from a broken heart over Yennefer of Vengerberg! Would it have hurted you so much to just talk ! No, not even talk just let me in! ONCE!" he shouted and felt tears of frustration gather and cringed at the feeling. "Fuck you Geralt! I've hurted from your injuris and it's _nothing_ next to feeling how utterly lonely you feel all the time. And you don't let people in. I can feel it, you can feel what I feel do you?" And he saw Geralt nod and Jaskier's frustration was replaced with a deep, never ending feeling of helplessness that wasn't his own so Jaskier looked at Geralt whose eyes were leaking tears that weren't his own. 

"This is so fucked up." said Geralt. 

"That it is." choked up Jaskier. He let his head hang for a bit trying to gather his thoughts and feeling when he was engulfed in big arms. He didn't dare to raise his head and Geralt said nothing but suddenly one feeling from the witcher came clear in his head. Fear, that Jaskier would be hurt, die because of Geralt. So Jaskier hugged Geralt and whispered low so that only witcher ears could understand. 

"We'll be okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for you lovely comments and all those kudos ! Please keep them coming !
> 
> So this chapter was more challenging than expecting. We got some feelings here people. I was not expecting that but here we are. So ? What did you think?

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is ! What did you think?  
> I might continue it if people like it ^^


End file.
